Research Associate in Romance Syntax - Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom - Newcastle University

Newcastle University
Newcastle University
Verified Company
Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom

3 weeks ago

Tom O´Connor

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Tom O´Connor

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Description

Salary:
£33,966 per annum

Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits.

We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.


Closing Date: 18 February 2024

The Role


We are seeking to appoint a Postdoctoral Research Associate to join the Leverhulme Trust funded project, 'How autonomous is syntax? A case study of Romance causation and perception'.

The post will run from 1 May 2024 to 30 April 2027, the length of this three-year project.


The project is led by Professor Michelle Sheehan in the School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics at Newcastle University, in collaboration with Professor Sonia Cyrino, State University of Campinas, Professor Adam Ledgeway, University of Cambridge and Professor Robert Truswell, University of Edinburgh.

In addition to this position, the project will also host a funded PhD student and another postdoctoral Research Associate.

Project members will work together to investigate the transparency of the syntax/semantics mapping in relation to causative ('make'/'let') and perception verbs ('see'/'hear'/'watch') across Romance varieties.

Comparing closely related varieties in this way allows a focus on 'microparametric' grammatical differences (Kayne 2005) and their concomitant semantic effects.

Because this area of grammar displays rich syntactic variation both within and across Romance varieties, it is the perfect testing ground for theories of the syntax/semantics interface.


The project will investigate this issue with data from three main sources: online corpora, work with language consultants and online acceptability judgement tasks.

A key contribution of the project will be to collect parallel data from (at least) nine Romance varieties: Italian, French, Catalan, European and Brazilian Portuguese, Spanish, Romanian, and the Southern Italian Dialects Gallicianò Calabrian and Calimera Salentino.

Applications should be submitted via the Newcastle University jobs portal.

Please upload a CV, Cover Letter and a brief 2 page research summary (covering interests, expertise and previous / ongoing projects).

Interviews will be held online on 15 March 2024.

Key Accountabilities
To conduct primary research on the syntax and semantics of causative and perception verbs in Ibero-Romance varieties.
To collect data by working with consultants, using online corpora and devising online acceptability judgment tasks.
To present on aspects of the project at relevant conferences and seminars.
To co-author at least one journal article with project members and contribute to a project monograph.
Participate in other project-related activities as agreed with the PI and Co-Is.

The Person (Essential)

Knowledge, Skills and Experience
Research expertise which demonstrably aligns with the project and the specific responsibilities of the position
Excellent organisational abilities and time management skills, and the ability to prioritise workload and work to deadlines
A publication / presentation record commensurate with career stage and experience
Language expertise in at least two Ibero-Romance languages
Familiarity with analysing data from corpora and/or acceptability judgement tasks using statistical method or a willingness to develop these skills

Attributes and Behaviour
Ability to work independently as well as part of a team
Willingness and ability to engage with both academic and non-academic audiences and partners


Qualifications:

Doctorate in Romance syntax or semantics

Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.

As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.


At Newcastle University we hold a silver Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality.

We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC.

We are a Disability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.

In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe.


Requisition ID: 26610
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